Wringing machine



Jan. 13, 1948. F. R. MOFFATT ETAL 2, 34,367

WRINGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3, 1945 -9 Sheets-Sheet l 'INVENTORS FRANK R. MOFFATT T ALF E0 E. GOEHRINGER B pun-1+ 16W IAW Y M M04 ATTORNEYS F. R. MOFFATT ET AL 2,434,367

WRINGING MACHINE Jan. 13, 1948.

Filed Dec. 5, 1945 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS T FRANK R. MOFFATT ALFRED E- GOEHRINGER BY m law l mv am a ATTORNEYS Jan. 13, 1948. F. R.-MOFFATT ET AL 2,434,367

WRINGING MACHINE Filed Dec. '5, 1945 9 Sheets-Sheet a ,-==-1 r j; r -J r J lNVENTORS FRANK R. MOFFATT ALFRED E.GOEHRINGER BY PM; my )uw awmA ATTORNEYS Jan. 13, 1948. F. R. MOFFATT EI'AL 2,434,357

WRINGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3, 1945 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 nil l I YIII/IIIIIIA VIIII/IIIIII.

= Wm-WK l 1 r. I INVENTORS FRANK R. MOFFATT ALFRED E. GOEHRlNC-ER g 9:; hwvbmi;

ATTORNEYS Jam 1948- F. R. MOFFATT ET AL 2,434,367

WRINGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1945 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS FR'ANK R. MOFFATT ALFRED E. GOEHRINGER ATTORNEYS Jan. 13, 1948. F. R. MOFFATT ETAL WRINGING MACHINE -Filed Dec. 5, 1945 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 TT ED E. GOEHRINGER ATTORNEYS SA mo NM E VR m K N m RY. FB W M 1948. F. R. MOFFATT ET AL 2,434,367

' WRINGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1945 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORS' FRANK R. MOFFATT AL FEDE.GOEHRINGER' WM 71W hw Mk ATTORNEYS Jan. 1-3, 1948.

WRINGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3, 1945 F. R. MOFFATT ET AL lNVENTORs FRANK R. MOFFATT ALFBQED E. GOEHRINGER KM, ANA mvawd ATTORNEYS Jan. 13, 1948'. F. R. MOFFATT ET AL ,3

WRINGING MACHINE. I I

Filed Dec. 5, 1945 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Ticvll] INVENTORS FRANK R. MOFFATT ALFREDEGOEHRINGER BY F BMW], Wan/W9 d ww ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 13, 1948 WRINGDIG MACHINE Frank R. Mofi'att'and Alfred E. Goehringer, Ridgway, Pa.,

assignors to United States Leather Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 3, 1945, Serial No. 632,294

9 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for wringing leather and similar materials and more particularly to an improved apparatus in which variable wringer roll pressure is controlled by means of compressed air or hydraulic pressure.

In the treatment of hides it is necessary to remove moisture consisting of water, tanning liquors, oils, greases, dyes, etc. from the tanned hides to prepare them for final processing. Heretofore the apparatus most commonly used for this purpose consisted of spring loaded rolls set for a definite tension and corresponding roll pressure and mechanically or hydraulically operated rolls swinging into and out of position and thus resulting in an intermittent process of operation.

In the present invention we provide a wringing machine consisting of a set of rolls reversible in rotation and located in a horizontal position with one roll above the other. The lower roll is mounted in stationary bearings of conventional anti-friction design and the upper roll rotates in movable bearings mounted in suitable guides, the bearings being of the self-aligning anti-friction type. Each of the bearings of the upper roll is connected to the piston rod of a double-endcushioned air cylinder in such manner that the upper roll can simultaneously rotate freely and float divergently, or out of parallelism, with respect to the axis of the lower roll. The provision of means permitting of axial divergency is especially desirable when expelling moisture from materials of tapering thickness, such as leather sides, crops, shoulders or butts, or other materials of varying thickness.

By means of this construction we provide a wringing machine by which excess moisture of whole hides or other materials may be removed in a single one-directional pass thus producing a continuous wringing process and speeding up the wringing operation to a considerable degree.

The design and the method of applying the desired pressure to the rolls eliminates the necessity of the use of heavy pressures and thus results in the practical elimination of creases and splits in material submitted to the wringing operation.

In operation a definite adjustable clearance is maintained between the upper and lower rolls, thus preventing direct roll surface contact during dling periods and avoiding roll surface impact at the moment one piece of leather or other material has passed between the rolls and before another piece is received between the rolls. This reduces untimely fatigue and subsequent brittleness of the surface material of the rolls.

By means of the compressed air or hydraulic pressure control, changes in roll pressure may be instantaneously effected to permit the use of the apparatus with leather or other materials of various kinds, grades and thicknesses. The control mechanism also provides for immediate release of roll pressure, instantaneous separation of the rolls, reversing or stopping of the lower driving roll with the upper driven roll coming to rest immediately upon disengagement of the drive gears when any of these steps are desired. This is particularly desirable in wringing leather in case the material fed between the rolls should fold or be improperly fed.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showmg:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine from the driver side;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, on an enlargedscale, of the stationary and movable bearings;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, cross-sectional view of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a perspective assembly of the control and operating panel located in front of the wringer rolls and above the feeder table;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the machine with parts broken away;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view, partially in section, showing the roll drive and bearing structure;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the piping and control valve arrangement; and

Fig. 10 is a similar view of the air pressure piping and valves and electric circuits.

Referring to the drawings, the wringer comprises a suitable frame which may be an electrically welded structure including a pair of base stringers If], a pair of cross members i I, one being arranged at each side of the machine, a pair of upright columns l2 at each side of the machine and column caps l3. A spacer rod l4 connects each of the upright columns l2 at one side of the machine with the corresponding column at the opposite side of the machine (see Fig. 3).

Power is supplied by an electric motor l5 (see Fig. 1) which is cradled in a tension control base it, preferably mounted at the front of the machine as shown. The motor shaft is provided with a pulley I! and is connected to a pulley l8 by a belt [9. Pulley I8 is mounted on the high speed input shaft 2|] of a speed reducer 2|. The slow speed shaft 22 of the speed reducer is con- 3 nected to the extended trunnion 23 of the lower drive roll 24 (see Fig. 8). This roll is capable of rotating in either direction in suitable stationary bearings 25. The bearings 25 are supported in suitable frame members 26 arranged between the columns l2.

The upper roll 27, which is movable and neating, is driven from the shaft of the lower roll by means of deep tooth mill type finger gears. Gear 28 is arranged on the shaft of the lower roll and gear 29 is arranged on the shaft of the upper roll, at the side of the machine opposite to the power input (see Fig. 3).

The floating mounting of the upper roll is shown in Figs. 2 and 7. As shown, the upper roll is mounted in bearings 30 and these bearings are slidably mounted in guides 3!; carried by the col-. umns I2. A clevis 32 is connected to a yoke'33 on the top of each of the bearings 30 by a pin 34 and this clevis is connected to a piston rod 35. The upper end of the piston rod carries a piston arranged in a' double-endecushioned air cylinder 36 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 6) The arrangement of the bearings in the guides 3|. prevents divergency f the axes of the upper and lower rolls'in a horizontal plane but permits freedom of'axial divergency in a vertical plane. Thev provision of means whereby the upper roll may ro.- tate out of parallel with the lower roll but is maintained in the same vertical plane as the lower roll is of importance when expelling moisture from leather or other materials of unequal thickness and this is especially true in instances where the hides are split in half before being processed. The floating rolldesign assures that all parts of the leather are subjected to the same amount of roll pressure during the wringing period.

Wringer rolls 24 and 2!- are preferably formed of forged steel and may be solid, as shown,'or may be hollow. They are preferably provided with coverings 40 of suitable corrosion resistant and non-stainin materials, such as alloys of steel, copper or nickel, or rubber composition, the choice of the roll covering depending upon the kind of leather or other material to be treated and also upon the maximum pressurerto be exerted. In the use of the machine we may also employ a canvas wrapping or a burlap or wool sock or sleeve cover (not shown) Such covering is used to achieve a positive grip and self-feeder effect with the wet leather or other material being treated and also to cushion the roll effect on irregular leather, such as bellies and shanks. When a rubber composition covering is employed on the rolls, or if the material being treated is capable of beingv fed through rolls with'metallic surfaces, the canvas, burlap or wool coverings are not necessary. The roll surface may vary from a high polish down to any pattern of corrugation (such as effected by shot blasting) but should avoid sharp edges which may permanently injure the grain side of leather or the surface of other materials being, treated.

Adjacent each end of the rolls (see Fig. 8) We provide flinger rings 4 I which may be formed of corrosion resistant, non-staining metal or rubbercomposition and are mounted between the bearings and the rolls proper to prevent the leather or other material being treated from contacting with any partof the'frame and to prevent extracted liquids from spilling over the bearings.

I he ends of the piston rods 35 which receive the clevises 32 are threaded as indicated "at 42 and this permits adjustment of the clearance between the roll surfaces. By means of such adjustment, direct roll contact and ensuing wear during idling periods of operation and roll surface impact with resultant untimely fatigue and brittleness are avoided. To adjust the upper roll, the pins 34 are removed and the clevises 32 turned in the Properdirection to rai'se or lower the rolls. Pins 34 are then replaced and the parts locked in adjusted position by lock nuts 43.

A table 44 is arranged at the front of the machine,- being supported by a frame consisting of a substantially horizontal portion 45 and a vertical portion' lfi. which is bolted to the columns l2 (see Figs. 4 and 6). Leather from the rocker yard or bleaching machine, or other material to be processed, is placed on this table and pushed forward: to contact with and pass between the rolls 24 and 21. The table is preferably of a slotted design, as shown in Fig. 6, and a roller guide 41 is provided at the front end of the table to facilitate. the, placing of the leather or other material on the table. A guard 48 extends over the front of the machine, the lower edge of the. guard being slightly spaced from the table to permitv the leather or other material to be fed to the rolls (see Fig. 4)

An upper roll scraper 49 is pivotally supported on one of the space bars I4 and engages the surface of the upper roll 21. A scraper 50 also engages the surface of the lower roll and this scraper is carried by a suitable supporting member 5| which is pivoted at. 52 and which is retained under tension by a spring 53 connected to. the opposite end of the frame 5|. These scrapers pull theleather or other materials from the rolls in the event of'clinging' and the lower scraper delivers the material to an inclined member 54 whence it is transferred to conveyor 55. and carried from the machine.

The means for supplying compressed air or hydraulic fluids under pressure to the upper or lower ends of the cylinders 36 is shown in Figs. 5, 9 and 10- of the drawings, We preferably employ a self-contained air compressor unit consisting of a compressor 56 and a storage tank 57. Fromthe storage tank, air is delivered to a reducing valve 58 and thence to'feed line 59. A shut-off valve 60 is arranged in the feed line and a pressure regulating valve BI is also arranged in the feed line. Valve 6| is employed to control the roll pressure and may be adjusted in a range from zero to any desired pressure, the pressure being indicated on a gauge 62 arranged in the line 59 beyond the regulating valve. The reducing valve 58' is set to provide a pressure slightly above maximum operating roll pressure. The use of this valve safeguards the work rolls and the material against undue strain, should the control valve 5| be accidentally moved out of adjustment. As the air tank pressure is always in excess of operating roll pressure, accidental opening of valve 6| would subject the rolls to the full tank pressure in the absence of the reducing valve 58. From the regulating valve 6| the linese extends to a four-way valve'63 which is supported on the frame of the machine above the-rolls (see Fig. 5). The valve 63 is provided withlines 64 and 65 extending to the tops and bottoms of the cylinders, respectively (see Figs. 9 and 10) and is also provided with an exhaust line 66. Lines 64 and 65 are alternately under pressure or exhaust, depending upon the position of the valve 63, and line 66 is always open to the atmosphere.

Extending fromv the line 59. at a point on theinlet side of th regulating valve is a line 61 con nected to a quick acting valve 68 and operated by means to be described when the upper roll is being raised. This permits air under the pressure for which the reducing valve 58 is set to be delivered to the lower ends of the cylinders 36 and is particularly useful when operating in the low pressure range to obtain quick raising of the upper roll.

The motor I5, which drives the rolls, is controlled primarily by means of a three-way push button switch 19 which is also mounted on the frame of the machine above the rolls (see Fig. 5) and which provides for forward movement, reverse movement and stopping of the motor by the three buttons. Wired in circuit with the push button switch, aS shown in Fig. 10, is an automatic, reversible, magnetic'switch H and a limit switch 12, each of which is arranged adjacent the push button switch as shown in Fig. 5. A shifter bar 13 is mounted on the frame of the machine immediately below the valve 63 and the switches. This shifter bar is movable horizontally in bearings 14 carried by the frame of the machine. A hand rail 15 is connected to the shifter bar to be grasped by the operator to move the shifter bar to the right or to the left. The shifter bar carries a stop 16 which is in engagement with a roller 11 carried by a lever 18 of the limit switch 12. Movement of the shifter bar to th right breaks contact of the limit switch 12 to stop the motor. After moving of the shifter bar to the left again, motor must be started by means of starter button of push button switch 10. A pin 19 is mounted on the shifter bar and this pin engages a slot 80 in an arm or lever 8|, which is connected to the four-way valve 63. Thus the movement of the shifter bar operates the valve to deliver air to the tops or bottoms of the cylinders 38 to lower or rais the upper roll 21.

Guard 48, which extends in front of the rolls to a point slightly above the table 44, is carried by a pair of arms 69. These arms are connected to a shaft 82 which is free to turn in bearings 83 carried by the frame of the machine (see Fig. 5). A segment 84 is keyed to the shaft 82 and shifter bar 13 is provided with a slot 85 which will receive the segment when the shifter bar is at its extreme right position, at which time air is being delivered to the lower ends of the cylinders to raise the upper roll 21. At all other times, raising of the guard 48 is prevented by th nonalignment of the slot 85 and the segment 84. The opening between the bottom edge of guard 48 and the table 44 is just large enough to pass the material being treated to the rolls 24 and 21, however too small for the operators hands.

A further safety feature is provided for delivering compressed air or hydraulic pressure to the bottom of the cylinders and raising the upper roll 21 upon exertion of pressure on the guard 48. An air cylinder 99 is arranged in alignment with the left end of the shifter bar and provided with a piston rod adapted to contact with the end of the shifter bar 13 (see Fig. An air line 9| extends from the main air line 59 and is provided with a manually operated valve 92, open at all times during operation of the machine. A rotary valve 93 is arranged at the end of this line and the outlet side of th valve is connected to air lines 94 and 95 which are in turn connected to opposite ends of the cylinder 99. An exhaust line 96, open to atmosphere, is also connected to the rotary valve 93. The valve is provided with an operating handle 91 connected to the guard supplied to 48 by a link 98. When pressure is applied to the guard to move it toward the rolls,'valve 93 is actuated to deliver air through line 94 to the left side of the cylinder and the piston rod engages the shifter bar 13 to move it toward the right in Fig. 10. The stem of valve 68 is in alignment with the right end of the shifter bar, thus causingthevalve 68 to open and feed air through the by-pass line 61 to line 59 and then to main valve 63 and deliver air through the line 65 to the bottoms of the cylinders 36 under full pressure as set by control valve 58 and raise the upper roll 21.

The wiring of the switch 10 and the automatic reversible magnetic switch H is shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings but a full description of the details is omitted because these switches are of conventional construction. As shown, current is the motor from leads I98, IUI and I02 which are connected to the motor terminals I93, I94 and I through the switches I9 and H and the limit switch 12. Current is also supplied to motor I96 of the compressor unit through line wires I91 having a switch I08 arranged therein.

The operation of the device Will be apparent from the foregoing description. The provision of the pair of air or hydraulic cylinders of large diameter and large piston area for controlling the upper roll results in a wide range of roll pressures which may be quickly adjusted and definitely set at a predetermined value by means of pressure regulating valve BI and the pressure gauge 62. It also results in a minimum fluctuation of the mean effective roll pressure as compared to spring loaded devices even though the piston may move'up and down a considerable amount in direct relation to the thickness of material passing through the rolls. The large volume of the cylinders as well as the volume of tank 51 acts as an absorber and tends to minimize pressure changes due to these causes.

In normal operation the manual switch 19 controls thestarting, stopping, and reversing of the rolls. However, the safety devices incorporated in the apparatus produce emergency stops of the wringer under several conditions. Thus, in addition to stopping the rolls by the manual switch 10, pressure may be relieved from the rolls by use of the shifter bar 13 or by applying pressure to the guard 48 to operate the shifter bar through air cylinder 90. When the shifter bar is moved to the extreme right position, the circuit is broken at the limit switch 12 and the motor immediately stopped. This also results in changing the position of valve 63 through pin 19 and arm 8| to deliver compressed air or hydraulic pressure to the bottom of the cylinders 36 and immediately elevate the upper roll 21. When the shifter bar is in its xtreme right position, the slot 85 is in alignment with the segment 84 and the guard 48 may be raised. While the guard is in raised position with the segment in the slot, movement of the shifter bar toward the left is prevented and all electric circuits are broken. The rolls '24 and 21 remain parted with the valve I53 in position to deliver compressed air or hydraulic pressure to the bottom of the cylinders 36. The rolls cannot be brought together nor the electric circuits restored until the guard is lowered and the segment removed from the slot. Similarly with the parts in operative position, the guard 48 cannot be raised even though the motor I5 b cut off because the slot 85 and the segment Mare out of alignment.

-As stated, the valve 68 is a' quick acting'valve andis part cula ly useful in op in in the low pressure ran e t P vide means fOI' quickly raise ins the up er roll under full l n pre r ever, w en ap lied to the ch i is useful when operating in any range, Whenever the g itter bar is moved to the'right, whether for an emergency stop or in the course of normal operatioh, the valve 68 is pened, thus delivering air at full giine pressure to the valve 63 through the byepass line 61. The pin 19 and the Valve handle 3,1 have reviously set the valve 63 in such position that this full line pressure is delivered to the bottoms of the cylinders 36 to effect quick elevation or the upper roll 27.

Leather or othe material to be treated is fed over tabl 44 under guard 48 and between the rolls 24 and 21, th leather then being delivered over the inclined guide 54 to the conveyor 55. As long as normal operation continues, the guard remains in lowered position with the shifter bar shifted to the left and air of the desired pressure is delivered from valve 63 throu h line 64 o th tops of the cylinders 36, the lower ends of the cylinders being in communication with the atmosphere through the line 65 and the exhaust line 66, The rolls, as previously described, are adjusted by means of the clevise 32 to provide such clearance between them that the rolls do not contact with each other when idling but apply the desired pressure to materials passing through the rolls to remove excess moisture therefrom. Upon encountering a material or uneven thickness, the upp r r ll moves upwardly against the pressure being exerted. on the piston rods and if the material is of varying thickness transversel of the machine or axially of the rolls, the rolls, while being held in the same vertical plane, diverge axially to accommodate themselves to the irregularity or variance in thickness of thematerial and to apply substantially even pressure to the material throughout its width. As long as normal operation continues, the guard rail remains in lowered position and the desired pressure is applied to the rolls. If the machine is stopped, either intentionally by the operator or du to an emergency stop, the shifter bar is shiftedto th right, which results in elevation of the upper roll, asheretofore described, and stopping of the. motor. The guard 48 may then be raised to obtain access to the rolls and other working parts of the machine.

We claim:

1, A leather wringing machine comprising a pair of rolls, stationary bearings receiving the ends of one roll, hearings to receive the ends of the second roll, th last mentioned bearings being slidably mounted, a cylinder arranged adjacent each of the bearings of; the second roll, pistons in said cylinders, piston rods connected to the pistons. and to the movable bearings, a motor to drive the rolls, a valve to control the delivery of fluid to either end of each of the cylinders, and a control member to disconnect the motor ,ii'om the source of power and set the valve to deliver fluid to the ends of the cylinders which will cause the movab e roll to recede from the stationa y rolL 2,, A leather wringing machine comprising a pair of wanting rolls, stationary bearings for one of the rolls, movable bearings for the second roll to perm t, it to movetoward and recede from the first roll, a cylinder arranged, adjacent each of the movable bearings, pistons. mounted in the cylinders, connections between thetpistons and the movable bearings, for delivering; air

to, either end of the cylinders, said means comprising a valve, a supply line connected to the valve, a pressure regulating valve in the supply line, a by-pass in the supply line, a valve in the by-pass-line, and control means for the first mentioned valve, the control means being adapted to open the valve in the by-pass-line when moved to a position to supply fluid to the end of the cylinders which causes the movable roll to recede from th first roll.

3. A leather wringing machine comprising a pair of coacting rolls, stationary bearings for one of the rolls, movable bearing for the second roll to permit it to move toward and recede from the first roll, a cylinder arranged adjacent each of the movable bearings, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the movable bearings, drive means for rotating one of the rolls, gearing connecting the rolls to drive the second roll from the first roll when the rolls are in operative position, means to deliver fluid to either end of the cylinders, and common control means to disconnect the drive means for the rolls and deliver fluid to that end of the cylinders which causes the movable roll to recede from the first roll.

4. A leather wringing machine comprising a pair of coacting rolls, stationary bearings for one of the rolls, movable bearings for the second roll to permit it to move toward and recede from the first roll, a cylinder arranged adjacent each of the movable bearings, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the movable bearings, drive means for rotating one of the rolls, gearing connecting the rolls to drive the second roll from the first roll when the rolls are in operative position, means to deliver fluid to either end of the cylinders, a limit switch to control the drive means for the rolls, a valve to control the delivery of fluid to either end of the cylinders, and a control member to actuate the limit switch and disconnect the drive and to move the valve to a position to deliver fluid to that end of the cylinders which causes the second roll to recede from the first roll.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of coacting rolls, stationary bearings for one of the rolls, movable bearings for the second roll to permit it to move toward and recede from the first roll, a cylinder arranged adjacent each of the movable bearings, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the movable bearings, means for rotating one of the rolls, gearing connecting the rolls to drive the second roll from the first roll when the rolls are in operative position, means to deliver fluid to either end of the cylinders, a limit switch to control the drive means, a valve to control the delivery of fluid to either end of the cylinders, a control member to actuate the limit switch and disconnect the drive and to move the valve to a position to deliver fluid to that end of the cylinders which causes the second roll to recede from the first roll, a guard arranged in front of the rolls, and means to prevent movement of the guard when the control member is in operative position.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of coasting rolls, stationary bearings for one of the rolls, movable bearings for the second roll, a cylinder arranged adjacent each of the movable bearings, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the bearings, means for delivering air to either end of the cylinders, saidmeans comprising a valve,

a supply line, a shifter bar to control the valve, a guard arranged in front of the rolls, and means to prevent movement of the guard when the shifter bar is in position to deliver air to that end of the cylinders which causes movement of the rolls toward each other.

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of coacting rolls, stationary bearings for one of the rolls, movable bearing for the second roll, a cylinder arranged adjacent each of the movable bearings, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the bearings, means for delivering air to either end of the cylinders, said means comprising a valve, a supply line, a shifter bar to control the valve, a guard arranged in front of the rolls, the shifter bar being provided with a slot, and a segment carried by the guard and engaging the shifter bar to prevent raising of the guard except when the shifter bar is in such position that the slot is in alignment with the segment.

8. A leather wringing machine comprising a pair of coacting rolls, stationary bearings for one of the rolls, guides arranged in alignment with the stationary bearings, movable bearings for the second roll mounted in the guides whereby the second roll is held in alignment with the first roll in one plane but is free to move toward and recede from the first roll, a cylinder arranged adjacent each of the movable bearings, pistons mounted in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the movable bearings, means for delivering fluid under pressure to the cylinders, means for driving the first roll, gearing carried by the rolls to drive the second r011 when the rolls are adjacent each other, and common control means for the drive and the delivery of fluid to the cylinders.

9. A leather wringing machine comprising a 10 pair of coacting rolls, stationary bearings for one of the rolls, guides arranged in alignment with the stationary bearings, movable bearings for the second roll mounted in the guides whereby the second roll is held in alignment with the first roll in one plane but is free to move toward and recede from the first roll, a cylinder arranged adjacent each of the movable bearings, pistons mounted in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the movable bearings, means for delivering fluid under pressure to the cylinders, a motor connected to the first roll to drive the first roll, gearing carried by the rolls to drive the second roll when the rolls are adjacent each other, a switch to disconnect the motor from the source of power, a valve to control the delivery of fluid to the ends of the cylinders, and a common control member to open the switch and position the valve to deliver fluid to that end of the cylinders which causes the second roll to recede from the first roll.

FRANK R. MOFFATT. ALFRED E. GOEHRINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 844,350 Hale Feb. 19, 1907 1,238,235 Whitney Aug. 28, 1917 1,814,734 Palrngren July 14, 1931 2,027,283 McFadden Jan. 7, 1936 2,054,443 Pierson Sept. 15, 1936 2,101,266 Munson Dec. 7, 1937 2,180,238 Hoke Nov, 14, 1939 2,381,671 Ladner Aug. 7, 1945 

